MP and new Evening Standard editor George Osborne officially opened the £192 million A556 Knutsford to Bowdon dual carriageway on Friday.

Highways England chief executive Jim O’Sullivan and Tatton MP Osborne, who is also chair of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, marked the project’s completion – on time and on budget – by planting a tree on the Green Bridge which crosses the road south of the A50 at Mere.

The four mile new road, which opened on Monday March 6, bypasses the old A556 and the villages of Mere, Bucklow Hill and Over Tabley - providing a quicker and more reliable link between junction 19 of the M6 and junction 7 of the M56 for the 50,000 vehicles, including 7,000 lorries, which rely on the motorway to motorway connection every day.

Jim O’Sullivan, Chief Executive, Highways England said: “The A556 is a key strategic route linking the West Midlands and Cheshire to Greater Manchester and Manchester International Airport. The old road was heavily congested and compromised by busy crossroads. This new road, built to modern standards, will provide faster and more reliable journeys between the two motorways – benefiting commerce and commuters alike.

“We would like to thank local people and road users for their patience and support over nearly two and a half years while we have worked to deliver this new road on time and on budget.”

The new road is the first major North West project to be delivered in the Government’s £15 billion investment in the strategic road network up to 2021. With the new dual carriageway now open, work will focus on converting the old A556 to the B5569 – with a new single carriageway road for local communities alongside a segregated green corridor for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

Work will also be taking place over the next few weeks to complete the unique Green Bridge – providing connectivity over the new road for farm animals but also for wild mammals, birds and other animals. The Green Bridge is one of seven bridges provided to either carry key local roads such as the A50 over the new road or provide a link to the new dual carriageway for local communities.